Letters to the Editor for Oct. 27

Saratoga Hospital ER already good, about to get even better

Recently, I attended a session with Saratoga Hospital’s emergency services director, Dawn Parker, to learn about the new 35,000-square-foot Emergency Department being built. As a former hospital administrator, I learned several things that members of this community should know.

They are not just building a larger and modern technically advanced and equipped facility. They are taking time to review, adapt and improve their communication and collaboration between the staff and other hospital departments as well as with the Saratoga-wide community.

There is a focus to reduce crowding and waiting, particularly during “time surges” of people seeking emergency care. For example, initial screening of all patients will include a practitioner who is able to initiate tests and speed up the patient’s care needs.

I was impressed to find out that Saratoga Hospital, in addition to its front entrance service, already has added the same free valet parking to help patients and their drivers get into the emergency services building more quickly.

Another improvement emphasized by Parker is the communication between emergency services staff and community doctors.

There is much that goes on behind the scenes in an Emergency Department. You should be pleased and comforted to know that Saratoga Hospital is clearly committed to providing state-of-the-art 21st century emergency care. I believe that is being done in an efficient, quality-effective, caring and collaborative way!

John A. Nelson

Saratoga Springs

Vote yes to help disabled veterans get hired

On Election Day, there will be an amendment to Article 5, Section 6 of the state constitution relative to additional civil service credit for members of the U.S. armed forces.

The proposed amendment would eliminate the requirement that veterans who were disabled in the actual performance of duty in any war be receiving disability payments from the Veterans Administration in order to qualify for additional points on a civil service examination for appointment or promotion. Under the proposed amendment, the disability must only be certified to exist by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The proposed amendment would also update “U.S. Veterans Administration” to “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs” to reflect current federal government structure.

The American Legion, Department of New York strongly supports this amendment and urges voters to vote yes on this much-needed veterans benefit.

Richard M. Pedro

Albany

The writer is CEO of the New York State Adjutant for the American Legion Department of New York.

Beware Big Brother snooping on the Internet

From Britian: “The Communications Data Bill (2008) will lead to the creation of a single, centralized database containing records of all emails sent, Web sites visited and mobile phones used by U.K. citizens. In a carnivore-on-steroids programme, as all vestiges of communication privacy are stripped away, the BBC reports that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says this is a ‘necessity’.”

From Australia: “Brilliant Digital Entertainment, an Australian software company, has grabbed the attention of the New York attorney general’s office with a tool they have designed that can scan every file that passes between an ISP [Internet service provider] and its customers. The tool can ‘check every file passing through an Internet provider’s network, every image, every movie, every document attached to an e-mail or found in a Web search, to see if it matches a list of illegal images.’ This is being promoted under the guise of preventing child porn. The privacy implications of this tool are staggering.”

Be afraid, be very afraid! Can it happen here? In a country with the technology to listen in on anyone’s phone conversations, don’t be so naive as to think that it can’t (and most likely will) happen here. It’s just an executive order away!

Victor Fraenckel

Schenectady

Graphic ‘Rocky Horror’ picture unnecessary

I was disappointed you chose to show a photo [of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show”] in the Oct. 16 arts section.

The article was sufficient in sending the disturbing message about the play without the eye-catching picture — especially opposite the comics page, where children turn.

Patricia Larson

Ballston Lake